ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · rock · bass · clip · fork · swing · mine · mark

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. clip — a video
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bound — obliged
  5. clip — to cut
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — music
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. swing — in golf
  11. mine — for digging
  12. clip — for paper
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rock — music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bound — certain
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — low music
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rock — a stone
  24. fork — to eat with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com